The kind of thoughts that

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: wide variety3% picked this

   The person is able to imagine a wide variety

   This technique only assumes that a person is able to imagine sheep.

   3%
2. B

   Too Strong: normally7% picked this

   The person normally has a difficult time

   This technique only assumes that someone is having trouble falling asleep purely because of thoughts arising in the brain. It doesn't matter whether that person normally has a difficult time falling asleep or only occasionally has a difficult time falling asleep.

   7%
3. C

   Correct77% picked this

   Thoughts of sheep would not keep the person awake at

   Why this is right

   Yes, this technique assumes that thinking of sheep will not keep the person awake. If thoughts of sheep would keep the person awake, then obviously this technique wouldn't help someone fall asleep. Even though this question stem doesn't resemble typical Necessary Assumption questions, if we recognize it as a "Which of these answers is necessary in order for X to work", then we know we can use the Negation Test (i.e. the Necessity Test) to judge these answers. And if we're using our Necessary Assumption brain to judge these answers, we would think, "Be wary of strong language; be attracted to ruling-out language (not)".

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   77%
4. D

   Too Strong: whenever13% picked this

   Thoughts of sheep would induce sleep in the person whenever those

   This technique doesn't need to assume that "whenever someone thinks of sheep, it will induce sleep". That would be very scary while driving! "Don't think of sheep. Don't think of sheep." This technique is assuming that combining thoughts of sheep with counting can enable someone to shut off the thoughts that are preventing them from sleeping. But the technique doesn't assume that thoughts of sheep, by themselves, induce sleep.

   13%
5. E

   Out of Scope: dream content0% picked this

   Thoughts of sheep rarely, if ever, arise in the

   The technique doesn't need to assume anything about what sorts of images or topics we see in our dreams. This technique is just about helping us to fall asleep. Once we're asleep, it's our subconscious's job to figure out what we should dream about.

   0%